Writing – A way of life

This post is by Adrian Tennant.

Adrian is a freelance teacher trainer, writer and consultant. Read more about Adrian on our Friends of Pens page here.

Someone once told me that the writing I do, English Language Materials for people who want to learn English as a second or foreign language, wasn’t as difficult as writing a work of fiction. I was gobsmacked! I never really found out what they meant. I did ask and they replied there was a simple formula and I just had to follow that. They also mentioned painting-by-numbers as a comparison. However, we did agree even when writing materials for learning English there was a need for imagination and extensive research (often more required than for other types of writing). Since then I have spoken to lots of other writers, both in the same field as those who write other types of books, and there is one thing everyone who makes a living from writing has in common. It is that writing is a way of life. What do I mean by that?

Well, one of the most important things is discipline. To be able to earn enough to make writing a successful career is to be able to meet deadlines and produce quality. I’m always amused by what Douglas Adams (the author of A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy) is reputed to have said about deadlines: ‘I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.’ Personally, I think he’s unlikely to have said that, and if he did it was almost certainly tongue-in-cheek.

Deadlines are actually important. After all, writers might say that writing is a very lonely job – we almost all sit alone at a desk staring at a screen or a blank piece of paper in a typewriter. The fact is that there are so many other people usually involved in the process of getting a piece of writing from inside your head to a reader. In my situation the process often involves the following: the commissioning editor, the content editor, the copy editor / proofreader, the illustrator or photo researcher, the designer … I’m sure there are many more that I’m not always aware of. Of course, one reason for this is that I’m often commissioned to write something particular, whereas many fiction writers start by writing a manuscript and then trying to get a publisher interested and get a contract.

However, if they are successful then a deadline is equally important. One reason for this is that many of the people involved, like me, are self-employed. They rely on workflow and knowing the dates they are working to. If the writing I do is delayed then that has a knock-on effect on everyone else involved in the ‘chain’ (the process). For them, their job is also a way of life, or at least a way of making a living. Understanding that I’m only one person in this chain, and that if I miss a deadline then it will impact a lot of people, is why being disciplined is so important.

I’m well aware that for many writers that’s either a dream or not the reason why they write. For many people the reward is simply in the creative process and that is their writing life. I get the same ‘buzz’ as fiction writers do from creating something new and that is another similarity. Is writing ‘a way of life’ for people who simply write for pleasure? I can’t know for sure, but if it ‘shapes’ their life and becomes an integral part (as it has in mine – having a writing routine, has certainly permeated my life and is one reason why I say it’s ‘A way of life’. It’s given my life a structure), then surely it is.

So, is there a magic formula to any writing? I doubt it! A number of years ago I attended an event at a bookshop. They’d invited two very successful writers of crime fiction to come along, to talk about their writing process. One spoke about how he ‘storyboarded’ everything out before he started writing. This way he knew from the start exactly where he was going. (It turned out he’d originally worked in TV, making drama programmes, so this was perhaps something he’d learnt there). The other author spoke about how, when he started writing, he had absolutely no idea where he was going. He said he often surprised himself about the ways in which the plot developed.

My process is more akin to the first of the two authors. I structure my days in a very formulated way. When I’ve taken on a piece of writing I carefully work out how long it’s going to take me. I then set myself daily targets to ensure I’ll be able to meet the deadline. (This is often one that has been given to me by the commissioning editor.) I then do the main part of my writing in the morning, break for lunch and a short ‘rest’ and then do my own editing in the afternoon.

Now, to go back to the original point of this piece. Is the type of writing I do easier than writing a piece of fiction? In my humble opinion, not really. I still have to plan, research, think, organise my thoughts and so much more. Yes, there is often a structure that is given to me for any piece of writing I’m asked to do. Often this is because it’s just one part, or component, of a series and other writers will be involved.

I took a creative writing course a number of years ago. The accompanying textbooks included chapters on creating characters, settings, voices (points of view) and so on. In other words, there appeared to be a tried-and-tested formula when it came to writing fiction.

From my professional vantage point, I would like to give some advice for aspiring writers. Even if you don’t have an externally imposed deadline, set yourself a deadline or deadlines. Break down your writing into manageable ‘chunks’ or targets. Find a routine that works. There isn’t only one way, so it’s important you work out something that suits you.

And, lastly, remember that writing doesn’t need to be lonely. I’ve often found, even when writing fiction for the creative writing course and since, that having someone to share the piece with or to bounce an idea off has both improved the final product and made the whole process far more enjoyable. I still occasionally write a piece of fiction for myself (with no goal of having it published) and find sharing it with one or two people can be quite rewarding.